Folding chair



2 Sheets-S 1.

(No Model.

B. KELSE FOLDING CHAIR,

Patented May 2, 1882.

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A /Wm N. PETERS, Photo-Limographnr. Washington, 0. c,

(NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. KELSEY.v

FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 257,341. Patented May 2,1882.

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N. PETERS. Plwwuum m m, Washington, 0v 0 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN KELsEv, on NEW HAVEN, ooN norIoUr.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,341, dated May 2, 1882,

' Application filed August 1, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: A

Beit known that I, EDWIN KELsEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

tan binding at the joint-connections ofthe sev-- eral parts.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of a chair embracing my improvements; Fig. 2, a

- side view of the chair as folded; Fig. 3, a detail of theeyed irons by which the legs are pivot-joined; Fig.4, a detailof the same as uncovered by the rattan; Fig. 5, the pivot-joint irons, shown as connecting the back-frame and front legs and as covered by the rattan Fig. 6,a detail of the same as'uncovered by the rattan; Fig. 7, a partial sectional detail of the connectedpivot-joint irons as covered by the rattan, and Fig. 8 details of the pivot-joint irons which connect the back-frame and seat.

The chair-frame is alight wooden structure, of turned parts, rendered strong by the rattan binding, special provision being made by which the chair is adapted for such binding in its folding capacity.

Aninflexible or rigid seat-frame, A,is pivoted by hangers E to the back D, and connected by metal loops to a round, 0, which connects the upper ends of the rear legs, B, while the front legs, F, are pivoted to the rear cross-legs, andalso to the back above the seat at the point H. These several pivoted connections have such relation to each other as to allow the back and the seat to be folded forward upon each other and with the legs. Stops a project from the opposite edges of the seat in advance ofa vertical line drawn through the pivot-connections 11 and E when the chair is unfolded, and

the upper portions of the front legs, resting against these stops, support the chair for use, as shown in Fig. 1.

The legs are adapted to be folded in com pact parallel relation to each other, or substantially so, by means ofwrought-iron pivot-plates b, Fig. 4, one for each leg, secured in a recess in linewith and to the contiguous sides thereof, and having each a right-angled eyed part, 1), extending inward between the legs below their crossing, and lapped and connected pivotally by a wrought-iron rivet, d, so as to form the joint-connections and the means by which to separate the rattan-covered surface of the legs.

These irons may be T-shaped or L-shaped,

and the recessed or set-in part or parts b are covered by the rattan up to the eyed part b, the continuous wrapping of the rattan being then carried beneath the plate through an open recess, 0, Fig. 3, in the wood,'the surface of which is thus covered. The pivot-joined parts stand in lapped relation to one side of the covered surface, so that there can be no joint abrading or wearing action upon the rattan. Moreover, by this construction the pivot-joint does not pass through the legs, and the latter are thereby rendered stronger. No rivet-heads or washers appear on the outside of rattan binding of the frontlegs, and the relation of the eyed parts of the pivotirons to the legs causes them to assume compact parallel positions in being folded. For this purpose these eyed pivot-irons may be used with the unbound chair. irons, f, are used with bowed or offset pivot irons g, for the connection of the front legs with the chair-back, the bowed pivot-iron being set in a recess in the surface, which is continuously covered by wrapping the rattan over and under the said iron, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. I have described this bowed pivotjoint iron in another application in connection with a solid bearing-surface of imitation rattan strands. Its present use is in combination with a side projecting eyed iron,f, and rattanbound surfaces of the connected parts, so that the bowed and the eyed bearing part-s stand away from the rattan covering, and thereby preserve it from being abraded and cut under the flexing action of the joint and avoid piercing the leg by the rivet. The same re- Similar side projecting eyed salt in isolating therattan-bound surface from the abrading and wearing action of the seathanging irons E is obtained by combining the latter with bowed pivot-irons g, secured to the back-frame, as shown in Fig. 8. The construction of these joint-connections not only allows the entire turned surface of the chair-frame to be bound with rattan, but carries the bearingsurt'aces away from the rattan covering.

The eyed irons are flat plates, and the wood is recessed under that part from which the eyed part projects, so as to allow the rattan to be continuously wound over the wood surface. In the bowed iron the rattan is wound continuously over the wood and iron surface and through the opening 6, formed by or under the bowed part, and the rivets d are fixed to and projectfrom these bowed parts and are riveted from the outside.

The castings are of malleablc'iron, and used as described they render the-chair stronger and more durable than merely rivet-j oined parts; but their primary object is to protect the rattan binding in a folding chair.

I have described a rattan-bound chairhaving the pivot-joined parts providedwith iron bearin gs adapted to receive bencathand over them on each side of or free of the pivotingeonnection in continuous wrapping theirattancovering of the turned parts; but such inven- I tion forms the subject of specific claim :inq'an application filed of even date herewith, and

' does not form the subject-matter ofdistinct claim herein.

I claiu1 1. In a folding rattan-bound chair, the combination of the back and of the front legs with the bowed or ofiset irons g, fastened to the back, having the rivet-pivots and the ironsf, fastened to the legs and pivoted to said bowed irons, whereby to-separate the rattan-bound 1 bound surfaces of the back from the seat-hangers, as set forth.

3. In combination, the legs BF, their pivotjoined right-angiedplates b b,:the rigid seatframe Ayitshangers E E, and its pivoted connection O, with therear legs, the back D, its inside and-outside bowed irons, g g, and thebearing-plates f of the front legs,the'said bearin gplates of the pivoting-connectionsbeing partially'covered by theratt-an wrapping, and-the several parts constructed and arranged foruse in a foldingrattan-bound chair, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presencetof two'subscribing'witmesses.

EDWIN KELSEY.

Witnesses:

I "FRANCIS, F.- PnEUDHoMME,

JOHN B. KENNEDY. 

